Elevation Training Mask 2.0 Review: Does It Increase Body O2?

The Elevation
Training Mask is a breathing device that is similar to military gas masks (version 1
of Training Mask). Version 2 or 2.0 is simpler since it does not restrict eye vision
(see the image on the right). The Training Mask is used
during different forms of physical exercise by people
who practice yoga, martial arts, extreme sports, mountain climbing and so forth. Is it
just another breathing gadget similar to PowerBreathe, Expand-a-Lung, and some
other devices used by athletes and exercising people for sports and running?

In this Training Mask 2.0 review, we are going to
consider health effects of High Altitude Training Mask and its
impact on oxygen transport and body oxygenation. This helps us to understand why, for example, Pete Jacobs, 2012 Ironman World Champion, uses Training Mask.

As a first step, it is necessary to understand why modern people have low body
O2 content, are unfit, and suffer from diseases.

Many people assume that the Elevation Training Mask is just another breathing device that
is created to strengthen respiratory muscles and mimic effects of high altitude.
However, it is not accidental that people claim more benefits after using
the Training Mask in comparison with other resistive devices.

When a person breathes with resistance, he or she gets less oxygen for the
lungs. The Training Mask can be used with different valves in order to model
sensations similar to high altitude. However, when the person exercises at high
altitude, he or she has increased ventilation, which causes reduced CO2 levels in
the lungs, arterial blood and other body cells (let us ignore people with
ventilation-perfusion mismatch here).

When a person uses the Altitude Training Mask, he or she also experiences
reduced oxygen flow. However, in addition to lower O2, the mask
increases body-CO2 content. Breathing is mainly regulated by arterial CO2
(with the exception of people who are severely ill due to chronic diseases).

Therefore, one of the key effects of prolonged training with
the Training Mask (it is often called "running mask")
is the adaptation of the respiratory center to higher CO2 and slower/easier
breathing at rest. This leads to improved-oxygen transport due to
CO2-vasodilation and the Bohr effect (more effective release of O2 in cells).

This effect of correct physical exercise is manifested in increased next-day
body-oxygen content, which can be measured using a simple body-oxygen test. (Note the
image on the left since most people believe that breathing more air improves
brain- and body-O2 content).

Physiology of Elevation Training Mask 2.0: How It Works

One
of the key factors that makes the Training Mask effective is
its increased dead volume (see the image for numbers).

This large dead volume makes the Elevation Training
Mask 2.0 similar to the Frolov device,
Samozdrav, and Amazing DIY breathing device, which are used at rest for breathing
exercises. Many people can do breathing exercises while walking (and often with
better results). However, the Training Mask presents nearly an ideal method to
combine most effective breathing exercises with physical activity for better
health and higher-body O2 and VO2max. Therefore, when they say that the mask
only simulates high altitude training, do not believe that.

High altitude training provides adaptation to hypoxia (with increase in
hemoglobin levels, and some other related effects). This is the reason why
altitude training is classified as hypoxic training. This makes sense since high
altitude only reduces O2 content in the inspired air.

The Training Mask also reduces O2 content in the inspired air conditioning the body
to hypoxia, but the Training Mask also increases CO2 content in the lungs.
This effect is not present at high altitudes. Therefore, this is
an example of hypercapnic hypoxic training that has
additional benefits due to adaptation to higher CO2.

How to increase positive effects of the Training Mask (running experience)

One can greatly amplify the positive effects of the High
Altitude Training Mask, if he or she
combines exercise done with the Training Mask with lifestyle changes that
increase body-O2 content (see Learning Section).
Note that most people can effectively use this mask
during cardio exercise only when they get over 20 seconds for the body-oxygen
test. Breathing control during exercise and more flexibility (using different
resistances) is possible when one has over 25-30 seconds for the body-O2 test.

Personal running experience.
During recent weeks, I have been experimenting with the Training Mask during physical
exercise. Why? It is known that breathing control is difficult after exercise,
At less than 25 s, it is very difficult and the CP remains low (due to heavy
breathing) for many hours. The CP often recovers only on the next morning. One
can try reduced breathing, breath holds, maximum pauses, and many other
breathing manipulations during exercise, but breathing still remains heavy.
However, when I tried the Training Mask for running and cycling sessions, breathing
after exercise is naturally very small. I tried up to 30, then 40 and 60 minutes
of aerobic exercise with the Training Mask, but no matter how long I trained,
breathing after exercise was minimal. It seems that the opposite is true: the
longer the training, the slower the after-breath.
Artour Rakhimov

These are the reasons why the Training Mask 2.0 is an effective device for
higher body oxygenation, VO2max, and better health, and why I encourage my students
(especially those who like sports and try to become more fit, or those who try to break
through 40 seconds body O2 threshold) to run with it and use this device
for at least 30 minutes (or longer) for one session of aerobic training or other exercise.

If you are interested to try it, there are 2 best options that I explain below. These options are provided as your bonus content. They were updated for prices and shipping options in January 2015.

Warning.Breathing exercises can cause powerful cleansing reactions and can be dangerous for
pregnant women, people with organ transplants, GI problems, and panic attacks, as well as those who take medication
for diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and other conditions.
Consult your health care provider and follow special guidelines, which can be found
in the Module
Restrictions, limits, and temporary contraindications.